It was back to school for Southampton’s Jess Simpson as she ran a training session with a local girls’ side as part of their preparation for the Utilita Girls Cup.
The under-13s team from Oasis Academy Mayfield recently won a local tournament at Southampton’s Staplewood Training Ground, with the girls holding their nerve through a nail-biting final decided by sudden-death penalties.
They will now represent Southampton in the next stage of the competition – and benefited from the wisdom of Simpson, an England under-23 international currently on loan at Saints from Manchester United.
Jess Simpson’s career so far
Simpson is on loan at Southampton for this season, having spent two previous spells with Bristol City.
Her first stint there was, however, cut short due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury in October 2023. After recovering from the injury, she returned to City in January 2025 in a loan that lasted until the end of the season.
She is a product of Manchester United’s youth academy, having been with the club since the age of 11, and turned professional in January 2023, on her 18th birthday.
She made her United first-team debut in November 2024, and also featured in their World Sevens squad earlier this year.
About the Utilita Girls Cup
The Utilita Girls Cup is one of the country’s biggest school football competitions, giving schoolchildren the chance to live out a dream and play at Wembley Stadium.
This year’s Girls Cup Final will take place just before the Vertu Trophy Final on Sunday 12th April 2026.
And it’s also inspired future WSL stars, including Aston Villa and England goalkeeper Ellie Roebuck, who in her own younger years represented Sheffield United in the competition between 2011 and 2013.
